Big Game Hunting New Zealand Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 24

Arriving at the out camp I met Billy
Franks, a legend in the game of
outfitting. He started at the age of
14 and has guided some magnificent
British Columbian species, most
notably sheep and grizzly bears. Billy
gives me a run down on the location
of the band of rams and what it is that
made him make such a statement as
“the best sheep he’d ever seen”.
Trying to sleep that night was a
waste of time, I had any number of
scenarios going through my head.
I rose early, at this time of year in
Canada there are very few dark
hours, Lenny (Billy’s wrangler, an
Ultimate OE cadet) and myself head
out to wrangle in the horses. The
horses have a bell collar around
the neck, to help with locating and
predator deterrence. Each night they
are belled and hobbled and set out to
feed. The reason for this is because
maintaining condition on the horses is
crucial to the outfitting in such remote
camps and the can only get enough
feed by roaming.
After a mandatory bacon and eggs
breakfast, we saddle up the horses.
Billy and Lenny ride and lead horses
with our gear up to the “ م